Anxiety - suggestions on immediate relief?

[anisa]

i'm not looking for a pep talk, thanks i'm not one of those "woe is me" or "give me some pills" type of person either. sorry for being blunt.

What do you do when you have that heart sinking, anxiety filled feeling? where you are panicked and feel like you have done something horribly wrong, somehow, somewhere.

i've been feeling it more and more these past few months. it has started to come back after about 10 yrs of feeling normal.

i used to panic badly, like sitting down, looking calm, but heartrate of 200 bpm. but that all stopped about 10 yrs ago.

i hate this feeling, I need suggestions on activities that help to immediatly calm you down.

suggestions anyone?

[DiamondLil]

Deep breathing. I try to calm myself down by controlling my breathing. Deep breath in, let it out slowly, keeping your eyes closed. I do this a few times and it helps me.

[itsjustmebub]

deep breathing for sure

also an "activity" is try writing a note or story with your non-writing hand. NEATLY.
distracts the mind.

get up and dance or do something utterly ridiculous.

[icangarden]

Have you seen your doctor for a check up to rule out any medical problems? I have a thyroid problem and am under medication to control it but when it goes out of whack have anxiety issues.

[VeeVee]

I cry hysterically lol Sometimes the panic is greater then anything I can do to stop it. BUT I find that colouring helps me...yes with crayons in a book lol

Lay on your stomach and listen to relaxing music like a bubbling creek etc..laying on your tummy sends a msg to your brain everything is ok....its like in lions if they are laying down they are not in any danger and feel relaxed...(my therapist told me this, I didn't make it up lol) so for the human, if your on your belly, your sending a msg that hey everything is ok...I am ok and relaxed.

[Andit]

I find walking helps when I'm hyper. When I used to go for job interviews, I would sneak into a stairwell & climb the stairs until I could control my nerves.

Have you tried any of the following:
- exercise
- breathing exercises
- talking it through (pro/con list)
- visualization exercises (you are lying on a beach, you can feel each grain of sand tickling your toes, you can taste the salt in the air, there are beads of sweat on your arms & you shiver as the warm wind blows across cooling your skin, you can hear the crashing of the waves & it drowns out your heartbeat)

Now for a question - have you had a thorough test done to check your thyroid? When my best friend was dealing with thyroid issues, she would call me up in the middle of the night in a full panic & we would go through the beach scenario above (sometimes for close to an hour) until she calmed enough to be able to go back to sleep.

I hope things get better soon.

[anisa]

thanks guys, excellent suggestions.

i wish i could drop all my responsibilities and go play. i think that would help immensely :D

[itsjustmebub]

the real key is either regaining control of your thoughts or distracting yourself enough in the moment that they pass or relax on their own.

[glowworm2k]

I love going for a walk when my anxiety feels overpowering. For times when that`s not an option, I`ve got two backup strategies. First, I like to touch the tip of my thumb to each fingertip, one at a time. This is especially helpful to help me focus if my hands start shaking. My other tip is to pick a random number and start (under my breath) counting backwards from it by 7's... so, for example, 85... 78... 71... 64... 57... 50... and on and on until I get to 0.

I find these super helpful for me because sometimes, as I mentioned, the situation dictates that you do something that nobody else is going to notice (e.g., when it happens in line at the bank or when you`re riding the bus or something like that).

All the best to you; I know what it's like to go through it! **big hug**

[MortgageQueen]

Ok. .this is going to sound very strange, but for some people it works.

Close your eyes. Think of your brain like a big dark space (as in calming/quiet) It's divided into 2 places by a big glass wall.

On one side is a big comffy soft chair. On the other side is all your anxieties, everything that's going on in your life (good and bad) it can be flashing by much like a movie or snapshots.
Sit in your empty room in your comfy chair and just observe. . . You are Not a participant. . .just an observer. You can look at bad things or good things. . .but you are detached. Feel the calm quiet atmosphere you are in. You're safe and just observing through the glass.
Slowly if you can. . .start to choose your view through the glass. . happy moments. . your kids laughing/playing or one of your favourite things or places.
Stay in that room until you feel calm enough to leave.
Have you ever been on a busy loud street and then stepped into a building on that street and suddenly. . .the noise just disappears. It's a little like that.

[scottie54]

I repeat over & over "The Lord's Prayer" , if my Brain starts to side track I start Over. This is actually how I go to Sleep each night. Been doing this for a long, long time. There was actually an Article in the Toronto Star about how this is the Most Calming piece of Literature that people found comforting. The other thing is I Read or Crochet as this takes my Consentration away from the Rat Trap Running around in my Head. Too Much Time gives me too much to think about. I know the Feeling, I could Swear on a Stack of Bibles that there is something Wrong somewhere or someone close has had an Accident. I have actually Pulled a Muscle in my Chest from Anxiety, so it is Good to Talk to your Doctor. Vitamin B Complex is also goo. My Mind is like a Mine Field somtimes, a Dangerous Place to go. LOL

[Lynn49]

Oh I hope some of these wonderful suggestions work for you! Mine used to be so bad, my hubby had to run me to the doctor for a shot to "put me out". I wish I could be more helpful...mine were accompanied with night terrors for years in our marriage....it got to the point that my hubby just knew to get up and make me a tea...What I'm trying to get to, is that when I finally came to terms with the cause, and ... Well...it's a long story, but I never had another episode since.
Is there a reason for your anxiety...can you work through it with professional help?
I just pray you can be rid of them...everyone...they're horrid....

[itsjustmebub]

My other tip is to pick a random number and start (under my breath) counting backwards from it by 7's... so, for example, 85... 78... 71... 64... 57... 50... and on and on until I get to 0.

I like the simplicity in that yet the focus it requires.
distraction!!

but yes as Lynne mentioned you also need to get to the ROOT of the problem.
that in the end was what helped me as well.

[MortgageQueen]

I like the simplicity in that yet the focus it requires.
distraction!!

but yes as Lynne mentioned you also need to get to the ROOT of the problem.
that in the end was what helped me as well.

Sometimes, there is no "root of the problem" other then wacky brain chemistry. . .unfortunately.
Scientists are furiously studying the mysteries of the brain. I just wish they'd hurry up.

[ame555]

What I find works the best for me after trying a zillion techniques -- is using "What is the worst thing that could happen?" -- I tend to be all or nothing when my anxiety happens - My boss is snippy wth me, omg I'm going to get fired. So the way I was told to work it out, really go step by step. NOrmally by the end of these thoughts, I"d be in a full fledge panic attack.

For example one day my Boss is snippy with me-- I think
oh I must be doing something wrong --I'll walk in tomorrow and get fired.
I have to leave the office immediately.
We have to sell our house.
We'll have to move into a tiny apartment
The kids will hate me, rebel and get into trouble
My husband will leave me
I"ll be all by myself forever

My mind just lets me make things worse and worse, but after I do this (write it down) I start to see how silly it sounds --so really would I actually be by myself forever? Even if my husband/kids never talked to me again, I'd still have my siblings and parents. I'd probably be able to find another job.

Maybe my boss was snippy because she is having a bad day, and it has nothing to do wth me.

I've used it with tons of situations from having to do a presentaton to when my grandmother was sick and it works.

It's stll hard, as my first reaction is still anxety, but I can ussualy work my way through it.

It may work for you, even if it seems silly.